''Youth at the Helm'' () is a Hungarian-language play by Paul Vulpius, the joint pen name of

Ladislas Fodor Ladislas Fodor (1898–1978) was a Hungarian novelist, playwright and screenwriter. Plays *''A Church Mouse'' (''A templom egére''); a comedy in three acts, adapted by James L. A. Burrell (1928) *''Jewel Robbery'' (''Ékszerrablás a Váci utcá ...

and , which premiered in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

in 1933. The play was also staged in Vienna, Austria in 1933 under the title ''Hau-ruck'' using a German language translation of Fodor and Lakatos's play by Hans Adler who also adopted the pen name Paul Vulpius. Adler's German language translation was the source material for two different English language translations of the play: ''Youth At the Helm'' by Hubert Griffith (1896–1953), used frequently in the United Kingdom during the 1930s, and ''Help Yourself'' by John J. Coman for the work's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

production in 1936. The play has also been staged using the titles ''Jugend voran'' (Germany) and ''L'affare Kubinsky'' (Italy). The play served as the basis for the 1936 film ''

Jack of All Trades "Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a person who has dabbled in many skills, rather than gaining expertise by focusing on only one. The original version, "a jack of all trades", is often used as a com ...

'' starring

Jack Hulbert John Norman Hulbert (24 April 189225 March 1978) was a British actor, director, screenwriter and singer, specializing primarily in comedy productions, and often working alongside his wife (Dame) Cicely Courtneidge. Biography Born in Ely, C ...

Griffith's English-language adaptation

The play was first performed in the English language under the title ''Youth at the Helm'' in an adaptation of Adler's play made by Herbert Griffith at the

Westminster Theatre The Westminster Theatre was a theatre in London, on Palace Street in Westminster. History The structure on the site was originally built as the Charlotte Chapel in 1766, by William Dodd with money from his wife Mary Perkins. Through Peter Ri ...

in London from November 5, 1934 to November 19, 1934. Produced by Harold French and Community Theaters, Ltd., the cast included

Jack Melford John Kenneth George Melford Smith (5 September 1899 – 22 October 1972) was a British stage, film and television actor. Biography Melford was the younger brother of screenwriter and film director Austin Melford. On stage from the age of 12, M ...

as Randolph Warrender, David Bird as Fitch, Townsend Whitling as William, Vera Lennox as Dorothy Wilson, Marcus Barron as the Old Gentleman, O. B. Clarence as the Chairman,

Alastair Sim Alastair George Bell Sim (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish actor. He began his theatrical career at the age of thirty and quickly became established as a popular West End performer, remaining so until his death in 1976. S ...

as Ponsonby, Margery Morris as Yvonne, Walter Horsbrugh as Nicholson, Hamlyn Benson as Hollman, C. M. Hallard as Lord Farley, George Weir as Roberts, and Fred Royal as the Office Boy. A critical success, Griffith's adaptation was staged several more times in the United Kingdom in the 1930s. It was performed for two weeks of tryout performances at the

New Theatre Oxford New Theatre Oxford (formerly the Apollo Theatre Oxford and the Apollo, from 1977–2003) is the main commercial Theater (structure), theatre in Oxford, England. It has a capacity of 1,785 people; is on George Street, Oxford, George Street, in t ...

before transferring to the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...

in London on February 28, 1935. This production was produced by

Howard & Wyndham Ltd Howard & Wyndham Ltd was a theatre owning, production and management company named after John B. Howard and Frederick W. P. Wyndham, founded in Glasgow in 1895, and which became the largest of its type in Britain. The company continued well into the ...

with

Owen Nares Owen Ramsay Nares (11 August 1888 – 30 July 1943) was an English stage and film actor. Besides his acting career, he was the author of ''Myself, and Some Others'' (1925). Early life Educated at Reading School, Nares was encouraged by his m ...

as Randolph Warrender,

Walter Hudd Walter Hudd (20 February 1897 – 20 January 1963) was a British actor and director. Stage career Hudd made his stage debut in ''The Manxman'' in 1919, and later toured as part of the Fred Terry Company; first attracting serious attention pla ...

as Fitch,

Kay Hammond Dorothy Katherine Standing, Lady Clements (18 February 1909 – 4 May 1980), known professionally as Kay Hammond, was an English stage and film actress. Family Kay Hammond was born in London, England as Dorothy Katherine Standing, the daugh ...

as Dorothy Wilson,

Adele Dixon Adele Dixon (born Adelaide Helena Dixon; 3 June 1908 – 11 April 1992) was an English actress and singer. She sang at the start of regular broadcasts of the BBC Television Service on 2 November 1936. After an early start as a child actress, ...

as Yvonne, and with O. B. Clarence, Alastair Sim, and Fred Royal reprising their roles. The production ran at the Globe for three months, ending its run on May 25, 1935. The production then went on tour the following June for performances at the

Golders Green Hippodrome The Golders Green Hippodrome was built in 1913 by Bertie Crewe as a 3,000-seat music hall, to serve North London and the new London Underground Northern line expansion into Golders Green in the London Borough of Barnet, London, England. Tak ...

and thee

Streatham Hill Theatre Streatham Hill Theatre is a historic theatre in Lambeth, England. It was built in 1928–29 and was the last theatre designed by W. G. R. Sprague. Opening in 1929, it staged theatre, opera, ballet and variety until 1962, apart from a period betw ...

. The

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actre ...

staged the work in August–September 1935 with

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English actor and filmmaker. Beginning his career in theatre, he first appeared in the West End in 1937. He made his film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's ''The Lady Vanishes'' ...

as Randolph Warrender and

Jane Baxter Jane Baxter (9 September 1909 – 13 September 1996) was a British actress. Her stage career spanned half a century, and she appeared in a number of films and in television. Early life Baxter was born as Feodora Kathleen Alice Forde in Bremen, ...

as Dorothy Wilson. Other UK theatres to stage Griffith's version included the

Devonshire Park Theatre The Devonshire Park Theatre is a Victorian theatre located in the town of Eastbourne, in the coastal region of East Sussex. The theatre was designed by Henry Currey and was built in 1884. In 1903, it was further improved by the theatre architec ...

(1935), the

Brighton Palace Pier The Brighton Palace Pier, commonly known as Brighton Pier or the Palace Pier, is a Grade II* listed pleasure pier in Brighton, England, located in the city centre opposite the Old Steine. Established in 1899, it was the third pier to be con ...

(1935), the

Edinburgh Festival Theatre The Edinburgh Festival Theatre (originally Empire Palace Theatre and later shortened to Empire Theatre) is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is used primarily for performances of opera and ballet, lar ...

(1935), the

Tyne Theatre and Opera House The Tyne Theatre and Opera House is a theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is a Grade I listed building, rated "in the top 4% of listed buildings" by English Heritage and is afforded a three star (the highest) rating by the Theatres Trus ...

(1935), the

Grand Theatre, Leeds The Grand Theatre, also known as Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, is a theater (building), theatre and opera house in Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It seats approximately 1,500 people. Building It was ...

(1935), the Prince of Wales Theatre, Birmingham (1935), the Royal Theatre, Northampton (1936), the Royal Theatre, Huddersfield (1936), the Morecambe Winter Gardens (1936), the Little Theatre, Bristol (1936, 1939), The Prince's Theatre, Bradford (1939), and the

Oxford Playhouse The Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F. G. M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road (Oxford), W ...

(1939). The United States premiere of Griffith's version was presented at the Surry Theatre in Maine from August 10–14, 1937. Griffith's version was adapted into a film entitled ''

'' by screenwriter J. O. C. Orton. The film premiered in London on February 18, 1936. The film renamed the main character Randolph to Jack Warrender who was portrayed by

1936 Broadway production: ''Help Yourself''

In 1936 the

Federal Theatre Project The Federal Theatre Project (FTP; 1935–1939) was a theatre program established during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal to fund live artistic performances and entertainment programs in the United States. It was one of five Federal ...

(FTP) of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

of the United States government produced the play on

using a new English-language adaptation by John J. Coman based on Adler's German-language adaptation from the Vienna production. Staged by Lucius Moore Cook and designed by Tom Adrian Cracraft, the production premiered at the Manhattan Theater on July 14, 1936 with a cast that included

Curt Bois Curt Bois (born Kurt Boas; April 5, 1901 – December 25, 1991) was a German actor with a career spanning over 80 years. He is best remembered for his performances as the pickpocket in ''Casablanca (film), Casablanca'' (1942) and the poet Homer ...

as Christopher Stringer,

Walter Burke Walter Lawrence Burke (August 25, 1908 – August 4, 1984) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television whose career in entertainment spanned over a half century. Although he was a native of New York, Burke's Irish ances ...

as Frederick Bittlesby, Doan Borup as Nicholas B. Bradley, and Camelia Campbell as Peggy Danforth. The play moved to

Maxine Elliott's Theatre Maxine Elliott's Theatre was originally a Broadway theatre at 109 West 39th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1908, it was designed by architect Benjamin Marshall of the Chicago-based firm Marshall and Fox, ...

and then the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

. In 1937 the FTP took the play on a national tour, with performances given at the

Hollywood Playhouse ''Hollywood Playhouse'', also known as ''Woodbury Hollywood Playhouse'', is a radio anthology drama series that featured adaptations of plays and short stories. Created as a showcase for Tyrone Power, the series began October 3, 1937, on the B ...

, the Musart Theatre in Los Angeles, the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, the Copley Theatre in Boston, Mountain Park in Holyoke, Massachusetts, the Empire Theatre in Salem, Massachusetts, the

San Jose Civic Auditorium The San Jose Civic (formerly known as the San Jose Civic Auditorium and City National Civic) is a former arena, currently operating as a theatre and concert venue, located in downtown San Jose, California. The venue is owned by the City of San Jos ...

, the Santa Maria High School Auditorium, the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

’s Campus Theatre, Minski's Columbia Theatre in San Francisco, the President Theatre in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, and the Warburton Theatre in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...

Film versions

*1935: ''Lärm um Weidemann'', directed by

Johann Alexander Hübler-Kahla Johann Alexander Hübler-Kahla (23 June 1902 – 6 April 1965) was an Austrian screenwriter, film producer, and director. He directed seventeen films including the musical comedy ''Dance Music'' (1935)Waldman p.103 and the Karl May adaptation ' ...

*1936: ''

'', directed by

Robert Stevenson Robert, Rob, or Bob Stevenson may refer to: * Robert Stevenson (civil engineer) (1772–1850), Scottish lighthouse engineer * Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894), Scottish writer ("Treasure Island"), grandson of lighthouse engineer Robert Stevenso ...

and

*1940: ', directed by

Camillo Mastrocinque Camillo Mastrocinque (11 May 1901 – 23 April 1969) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 60 films between 1937 and 1968, and is known to horror film fans for directing ''Terror in the Crypt'' (1964) starring ...

*1953: ', directed by

Axel von Ambesser Axel Eugen Alexander von Oesterreich (22 June 1910 – 16 September 1988), better known as Axel von Ambesser, was a German playwright, actor and film director. Ambesser's father was Alexander Constantin von Oesterreich. Ambesser was born in Hambu ...

''Inside Trading''

In 1996

Malcolm Bradbury Sir Malcolm Stanley Bradbury, (7 September 1932 – 27 November 2000) was an English author and academic. Life Bradbury was born in Sheffield, the son of a railwayman. His family moved to London in 1935, but returned to Sheffield in 1941 wit ...

wrote the play ''Inside Trading'', a modern version of ''Youth at the Helm''.

References

Bibliography

* {{cite book , last=Goble , first=Alan , date=1999 , title=The complete index to literary sources in film , publisher=Walter de Gruyter , publication-place=London , isbn=978-3-11-095194-3 , oclc=868959494 1933 plays British plays adapted into films Plays set in England Broadway plays West End plays Hungarian plays